Account Planning

At a junior level, planners will learn how to Manage Information Sources (where to look, what exists, how to manage the data); you will also learn how to understand Core Research Methodologies (analysis and interpretation of a range of different techniques used to track brand and advertising performance, customer behaviour, buying trends etc). You will need to acquire Creative Empathy (how to write imaginative creative briefs, provide support and guidance during creative development, evaluation of creative work, evolving work after research) and good Presentation and Communication Skills (presenting strategies and research findings to clients, moderating research groups); you will need Cross Discipline Understanding (so that you know how different communication channels impact on your consumer and you understand how the different elements of a multi-discipline team can cooperate behind a single idea).

At Senior Account Planner level, you will be expected to have gained good Marketing Skills to enable you to understand the dynamics of a client’s business and to leverage this understanding to identify new business opportunities for your Client’s brand portfolio. Enhanced Advertising Skills will be needed to develop a deep understanding of consumer attitudes, motivations and behaviour, as well as a comprehensive understanding of wider social trends, so that you can generate new insights and ideas. You will be designing, briefing, conducting and interpretating qualitative research, selecting appropriate techniques for quantitative studies and running idea generation sessions. You will need to develop People Management Skills to inspire junior planners, creatives, the agency team and clients and Negotiation Skills to create buy-in to brave strategic thinking.

Key characteristics of an excellent account planner are curiosity, tenacity, lateral thinking, intellect, highly articulate and numeracy.

Media Buying

If you decide to go into media, you will often start as a trainee and then move into media buying. During your first few months as a trainee, you will learn the role of advertising within the marketing mix, as well as the development process of advertising, and you will become familiar with the increasingly complex media marketplace – both on and off line.

The Advertising Skills you will develop are the ability to analyse sales and consumer data, an appreciation of quantitative research methods, an understanding of the dynamics of the marketplace, costs and audience profiles of each media owner and how to evaluate the media contribution to a campaign’s effectiveness.

You will develop People Management Skills - constructive team working, delegation and supervisory skills, Communication Skills – both with your agency colleagues and media owners, and Presentation Skills to learn how best to impart your knowledge.

You will need to acquire effective Negotiation Skills in order to develop different buying strategies for different media owners and to implement them effectively.

Financial Management Skills are vital for managing the client’s budget, meeting media targets and understanding the varying remuneration contracts.

In terms of Organisational Skills, you will need to organise and run meetings, be on top of day to day administration, learn how to prioritise and to meet deadlines. Computer skills will also be essential.

Media Planning

If you are more interested in why consumers behave in certain ways, rather than chasing the deal, you may decide to progress into media planning.

Advertising Skills – you will need to be able to analyse in depth the various media research tools (eg BARB, TGI, JICNAR etc). You will develop a good understanding (through analysis of qualitative and quantitative research) of consumer media consumption behaviours in order to plan the strategy that guides the media buying process. And you will learn how to develop evaluation techniques to prove the value of the media.

Your People Management Skills will develop to enable you to manage client relationships, gaining their respect and trust of your judgment. You will set objectives for the media buying team and keep them informed of any changes in the media marketplace that could affect the strategy.

You will extend your Communication Skills through client strategy presentations, active listening skills when taking client briefs and liaison with creative agencies/departments and other suppliers.

Key characteristics of an excellent media buyer are tenacity, commitment, negotiation, numeracy, and highly articulate.

For a media planner - curiosity, ability to use figures to paint a picture, strategic thinking and the ability to communicate.